Kenya is located on Africa’s Eastern coast and straddles the equator. By continental standards Kenya is a medium sized country which covers an areas of 586,600km sq. Kenya is bordered by Somalia and the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south. The Kenyan coastline is 550km long and is home to both the largest port in East Africa and Kenya’s second largest city, Mombasa. Kenya has tremendous topographical diversity, including glaciated mountains with snow-capped peaks, the Rift Valley with its scarps and volcanoes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes and coral reefs and islets.
Kenya is home to the African safari and has been for a very long time. The phrase ’safari’ comes from the Swahili language and translates to ‘travel’ in English. Roughly 160,000 tourists from the UK visit Kenya every year with a majority of 65% opting to go on Kenya safaris. Tourism is a big earner in Kenya with 65% of the GDP accounting for it.
Weather
Countrywide the hottest months are from December to March. The coastal regions are tropical with very high humidity through April and May but are cooled by the monsoon winds. The lowlands are hot but mainly dry, while the highlands are more temperate with four seasons. Nairobi has a very pleasant climate throughout the year due to its altitude but near Lake Victoria, the temperatures are much higher and rainfall can be heavy.
Visas
Visas are required for nationals of most countries including the Canada and UK. These can be obtained upon arrival at major border posts including the airport, land crossings and seaports. Visas are $50US for a maximum stay of 90 days and visa extensions can be obtained at official immigration offices in Nairobi & Mombasa. If you are combining your trip with a Tanzania safari it is most likely that your tour guide will sort your visa out for you.
Time Difference
Kenya runs on East African Time (EAT) which is +3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Kenya doesn’t have any daylights saving time so in the BST (British Summer Time) Kenya is only +2 hours ahead. BST runs from 27th March to 30th October 2011 and 25th March to 28th October 2012.